Hey again! So, this is just another little one-shot idea that I've had in my head for quite a while, I know other people have done ideas similar to this, but I figured it would be (hopefully) kinda different than other ones that are similar… Idk, we'll see how it goes, lol. Enjoy. (Just a warning though; this is gonna be kind of long, lol).
Disclaimer: I do not own SpongeBob SquarePants or any of its characters.
Who Could Forget?
~French Narrator~
"Ah, a lovely morning in Bikini Bottom. The scallops singing, the water so calm, what else could there be to make this day even better? Oh, I know! It is Sandy Cheeks' special day-her birthday, to be exact. Let us see how she plans to spend this day."
Sandy's eyes fluttered open to the sunshine entering her room, feeling the warmth of its beaming light on her fur. As soon as she woke up, the first thing that entered her mind was excitement; excited to make herself a very special breakfast that she only allowed herself to eat on special occasions; a big ole' fluffy Texas-style pancake stuffed with acorns, walnuts and topped with a very 'special' secret syrup.
Of course, this wasn't the only thing that entered her mind as she stretched out her arms and yawned. "Well, another year older and I'm still kickin'! Kickin' butt, that is," she spoke aloud, a small smile crossing her lips.
She was feeling especially excited and jovial at the thought of all her good friends wishing her a happy birthday (and maybe even showering her with a few gifts).
Of course, she didn't really expect anybody to give her anything; she wasn't that self-absorbed… well, maybe just a bit.
Heck, she'd be grateful if they would just get her a couple of cards or just simply say the words 'happy birthday'. After all, she had so many things to be grateful for in life already; she was alive and breathing, for starters. She had a fantastic career as a scientist, she had her own private dome and tree to relax in, a bed to sleep in and plenty of good food to eat. But most of all, she had friends that she could count on. SpongeBob, Patrick… and… the others. Well, those two were really the only ones she would consider 'friend' friends; all the others were more acquaintances, but still, they were there when she needed them.
Feeling charged and ready for the day, Sandy gathered the ingredients to make the 'special' breakfast and after a while, she had completed her masterpiece.
"Dee-licious! Too bad I only make this once and a while, I could scarf this thing down every day; for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!" she spoke aloud as she sat at her picnic table.
One of her many robot helpers rolled its way up to her. "But if you were to eat the same thing every single day, you would not get the proper nutrition necessary for healthy living,' it said in its monotone voice.
She waved off the contraption. "Aw, who the heck cares about the nutrition? My taste buds sure as heck ain't complainin'," she said, grabbing her empty plate and bringing it towards her oak tree.
"It is your funeral," said the robot.
She turned to look at it. "That's what Plankton said when I challenged myself to eat raw Chum, and look at me now. Do I look dead to you?" she cocked a brow.
The contraption shrugged. "It does not appear that way."
"That's right, so just calm your nuts and bolts."
After a while, she slipped into her air suit and helmet, deciding to take this very special day off from her experiments and just spend the day in town.
She slowly made her way from her Treedome and down the long stretch of road. The thought of her friends being all giddy and wishing her a happy day made her want to burst with excitement. She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Boy, I'll bet SpongeBob finally got me that little ole' Texas star figurine I've had my eye on. Yes, Siree! Today is gonna be good," she chuckled.
Just then, as she continued her walk, she could see Mr. Krabs' boisterous teenage daughter Pearl. She spoke over her shell-phone as she slowly approached her.
"Ahahaha! I know, it's gonna be so totally awesome- "the whale spotted her and gasped. "Oh, gotta go Orchid. Remember, shhh," she whispered.
Orchid scoffed on the other end. "Rude! I wasn't being loud,"
"Ugh! Never mind," Pearl hung up.
"Well, howdy Pearl! What's new?" asked Sandy.
Pearl twisted the end of her ponytail nervously. "Hey, Sandy! Ahaha, nothing new, life is boring as usual. What's new with you?"
Sandy shrugged. "Oh, ya know, always workin' on them experiments, nothin' real excitin'…" she looked up at her, expecting her to say the special words.
Pearl stared at her. "Well, that's nice Sandy. I hope you have a good boring day! Or, I mean a good day! See ya!" she rushed off.
Sandy turned and watched her. "Huh… guess maybe them teens are too lazy to remember anything other than the celebrity gossip they read about in them fancy magazines."
She continued her walk for a couple more minutes. She then passed by Patrick's rock house along the way. She stopped, spotting him and SpongeBob's pet snail Gary huddling close together outside of his rock.
Sandy felt confused at the sight. "Uhh… Patrick?" she asked.
He turned around. "Oh, h-hey Sandy! Go, go, GET INSIDE." He ordered the snail, lifting up his rock and gesturing for Gary to enter. The snail quickly slithered inside, and Patrick slammed the rock back down.
Sandy cocked a brow at the starfish as she approached him. "Howdy Patrick, how's it goin'?"
He held his hands behind his back, smiling nervously and sweating. "Oh, things are going, alright. Things are always going around here; why, if they stopped, we'd all be in really big trouble, am I right? Ahahaha!" he laughed cluelessly.
"What in tarnation?" she wondered. "So, anyway, what's up?" he tried to hide his strange behavior.
"Meow (real smooth, Captain Jitter-Pants)" Gary meowed from inside the rock.
"Hey! I thought SpongeBob was Captain Jitter-Pants?" asked Patrick.
"Meow (no, he's Captain Hyperventilate-Pants)"
"OH, BE QUIET!" he commanded, then turned back to Sandy with sweat dripping down his face.
"Oo-kay then… did ya notice anything special on your calendar today, Pat?" she asked, her hands clasped behind her back.
He bit his lip, shifting his eyes around nervously. "Uh… u-uhh…. Oh, wait! I did notice something special!"
She smiled brightly. "What was it?!"
"Today is the day that I fold all my clean pairs of shorts." He smiled.
Her shoulders slumped. "I thought you only owned that one pair?" she asked, pointing towards his signature shorts.
He glanced down at them. "U-uh… I do! I'm going to fold my other ones… r-right after I buy them. See ya!" he lifted up the rock and jumped inside.
Sandy pursed her lips. "Everyone sure is actin' funny today… and on top of that… nobody's mentioned nothin' about… oh, it was just Pearl and Patrick, they're always forgettin' stuff. I just know there's gonna be someone who'll remember." She smiled and began walking away, only to freeze upon hearing the starfish and snail arguing.
"What was I supposed to say?! 'I gotta fold my underwear?' OUCH!" the snail apparently struck him with an object.
"Meow, meow! (maybe if you wouldn't eat all that ice cream and freeze what brain cells you have, you could come up with something better!)"
"Oh, yeah. Like you could come up with anything 'better.' What were you gonna say? 'I gotta fold my Snail-Po'- OUCH! I thought I only had one remote for the TV- OW!"
Sandy shook her head and backed away cautiously. "That snail is one lethal little critter."
A little while later…
It was a perfect, warm Spring day. So, Sandy decided she'd take a little stroll around Goo Lagoon and maybe treat herself to a little ice cream, a really big ice cream; perhaps even three or four scoops. Why not? It was her special day, after all.
As she approached the beach, she took in the sight of hundreds of people running around, playing volleyball, swimming, and, of course, laying out and getting light golden tans. (or, in some cases, getting burnt to a crisp).
Just then, she spotted good ole' Larry the Lobster at the hot dog cart, speaking to a male fish… almost suspiciously.
"Wonder what ole' Larry is up to? He's sure to remember my big day." She put on a smile and walked up to him, tapping him on his mid-back.
"Hey, Larry!" she greeted.
"GO, MAN, GO!" he spoke through gritted teeth, shoving the fish away. He then swiftly turned around. "Well, hey dudette Sandy! What brings you here? Getting a tan?" he asked, trying to sound extra smooth.
She chuckled. "Now, Larry, how am I supposed to tan while I'm wearin' my suit?" she placed her hands on her hips.
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uhh… I have some tanning lotion you could put on it! It sizzles up even the thickest skin. Or in your case, the thickest material! Haha!"
She cocked a brow at his unusually awkward behavior. "Aha, n-no thanks, Lare." He smiled at her. "So… then, what's new?"
"Oh, I was just takin' a little stroll, thought maybe I'd get myself a good triple scoop of acorn caramel swirl,"
"Whoa! Triple scoop? That's quite a treat,"
She smiled. "Well, I figured since today is a special day, I'd indulge a bit."
They stood in awkward silence for a few moments. "Do ya know what that special day is, Larry?" she elbowed him.
He looked around nervously. "Uhh… huh… let me think, uh- Oh! A new volleyball game is starting, I've gotta get there before the other bros do. It was good to see ya, Sandy," he gave her a pat on the back and raced towards the game.
Sandy was becoming more and more disappointed by the minute. "First Pearl, then Patrick, now Larry? Is everyone experiencin' memory loss from some new medication?" she shook her head.
After laying out, relaxing and enjoying her acorn swirl, she decided to pay a visit to the place where she knew people would remember-The Krusty Krab. Even though Mr. Krabs was always distracted by his money, and Squidward was just too busy not caring, they for sure wouldn't forget a day as special as this. And if they somehow didn't remember, she knew she could count on SpongeBob to make a big deal out of it. Why wouldn't he? He remembered almost every single special day of the year; including one he'd made up especially for her. Surprise Sandy Day.
At the Krusty Krab…
"Hmmm, hmmm…. Hmm…" SpongeBob was quietly humming to himself as he flipped the patties over on the hot grill.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Sandy, happy birthday to- "
"SPONGEBOB!" Squidward shouted, snapping the sponge out of his trance.
He chuckled. "Oh, Squidward. It's not my birthday! It's Sandy's, remember?"
The octopus rolled his eyes. "I know that, you loon. I've been waiting for that kids' Krabby meal for fifteen minutes! Why isn't it ready yet?"
"OH! I'm sorry, Squidward, hehe, I forgot. I was just so excited thinking about Sandy's birthday. I'll get right on it," he smiled.
The octopus scoffed. "Heh. Of course, you were excited. Who wouldn't be excited about their girlfriends' birthday?" he smirked, making the sponge blush.
"Dahaha, good one Squidward! She's not my girlfriend, where would you get a silly idea like that?"
"Oh my, I haven't got a clue…" he spoke sarcastically, eyeing the picture of the squirrel that SpongeBob had hanging up on the wall behind him.
The sponge gasped, running over to it, taking it down and stuffing it into a wooden barrel. He turned around, chuckling awkwardly.
"Ah heh, heh, s-see? You were seeing things again, Squidward…"
Squidward stared blankly. "Y-eah, sure. Just get cracking on that order."
Just then, Mr. Krabs came through the door. "Telephone, boy-o." He said.
SpongeBob made his way into the crustacean's office and picked up the phone. "SpongeBob speaking," he said cheerily.
"Hey, SpongeBob! We've got all the party favors and confetti and stuff. We've also got the balloons all filled. Although, someone thought it would be funny to chew on a few on them and they popped," said Patrick, glaring over at Gary.
"That's great Patrick! Well, except for the part about Gary. I have got to get that little troublemaker a new chew toy…" SpongeBob shook his head.
"You're tellin' me. You ever thought of taking him to an anger management class?" asked Patrick.
SpongeBob felt confused. "No, why would I wanna do that?"
"OW!" the snail chucked a random object at him. "T-that's why… hey! Put that down! That cost me fifty-cents-OW! So, uh, what's the plan again?"
"I go over to Sandy's Treedome and ask her to go on a picnic- "
"A picnic? What would you wanna do that for?
SpongeBob stuttered. "B-because I need a distraction for you guys to set up the party at the dome…"
Patrick scratched the top of his pointy head. "A distraction from what?"
SpongeBob smacked his forehead. "We need to have Sandy out of her Treedome so that you guys can set everything up!"
"Ohh! We're already doing that now. Isn't that what we're doing Larry?" he looked over at the lobster who then nodded at the starfish.
SpongeBob was shocked. "What?! You mean Sandy's not there?"
"Nope. We snuck up to see if she was here and the place was empty. We've been setting things up for the past half-hour or so," Patrick explained.
"Well, gee, that's great! Only thing I wonder is… where's Sandy?"
Just then, SpongeBob heard the familiar sound of the glass doors creaking open. He leaned to the side, peeking out of the office door.
"Oh, no! What's she doing here?!" "Uhh, Patrick, I gotta go. Keep setting things up." He then hung up and dashed into the kitchen. Sandy made her way inside and towards the register before she could spot him.
"Howdy, Squid! Beautiful day isn't it?" she beamed.
He stared down at a magazine and shrugged. "If by beautiful you mean another boring as heck day where my dreams are crushed, then sure." He spoke blandly.
Sandy stared at him for a few moments. "Well, it's a beautiful day for me! That's for sure," she rubbed her hands together, looking at him hopefully.
"Uh-huh." He replied.
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, Siree. Beautiful day…"
"That's nice." He continued to stare at his magazine.
Just then, Mr. Krabs scuttled out of his office. Sandy's face lit up at the sight of him, she stood in front of him.
"Howdy, Mr. K! Nice day, isn't it?"
The crustacean cocked a brow at the unusually giddy air-breather. "Uhh, sure! I suppose it is. Then again, it's always a nice day when yer surrounded by piles of money, arg arg arg arg arg!" he chuckled.
She chuckled along with him. "Hahahaha! You're too funny, Mr. Krabs! Hahaha!" the two continued their awkward laughter for another few moments until they both ran out of steam.
"So, what brings ye here?" he asked.
She shrugged. "Oh, nothin' much… it was just such a beautiful, special day, that I thought I'd take a nice little stroll."
"To a grease trap?" asked Squidward dully.
"Get back to work, Mister Squidward." Mr. Krabs spoke sternly, his claws placed on his hips.
"I am working!" he spat back.
"I wouldn't call gluin' them eyes of yers to the pages of Suction Cup Monthly workin'!"
Sandy rubbed her arm. "So! Mr. Krabs, is there anythin' special happenin' today?"
He shrugged. "Hmm… well, Plankton hasn't tried stealin' me Formula today… and trash day ain't till tomorrow… hmmm…" he scratched under his chin.
Sandy was bursting at the seams, wanting so badly for him to say what she wanted to hear. "Aha!" he said, snapping his 'fingers'.
She smiled brightly at him. "Today is the day I iron the wrinkles out of me hundred-dollar bills! Those things get so messed up inside me pockets. Better get started on that right now. See ya later, darlin'!" he scuttled back into his office, slamming the door shut.
Sandy stood there in disbelief. Was nobody going to remember? It didn't appear to be so. But wait! There was still one loyal, honest, and thoughtful little friend of hers on the list… there was no way he'd forget! Right?
She came through the kitchen. "Hey there, SpongeBob!"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!" he shouted, dropping his spatula. Sandy backed up. "Whoa! I ain't the police, silly," she said.
"Dahaha! Sorry, Sandy, my mind is somewhere else today. U-uh… what brings you here?" he asked, nervously picking up the dropped spatula.
She clasped her hands behind her back. "Oh, nothin'! Really. I was just takin' a SPECIAL stroll to this SPECIAL eating establishment to talk to some of my SPECIAL friends…" she had backed him into a corner, she leaned over him.
He gulped. "G-gee… you must be in a SPECIAL mood today! Haha…"
Her smile brightened. "Well, sure! After all, today is a rather 'special' day! Don't ya think?"
He scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Uh, sure! Every day is a 'special' day at The Krusty Krab! I mean, we get to take peoples' orders, bring them their food- "
"Rot and waste away like a pile of Chum," added Squidward from his station.
"Exactly! -wait… I mean no. Haha! You got me, Squidward," he chuckled awkwardly.
Sandy was feeling very desperate at this point. "A-ain't there anything special other than workin' here that's happenin' today?"
He bit his lip while he thought deeply about her question. "Hmm… Oh! Come to think of it, there is." He looked her in the eye and smiled.
She hadn't given up hope yet as she smiled right back at him. "I've got to break out the polish and give Gary's shell an extra good shining tonight," he said cheerily.
Her smile faded. That was it for her. If the person she considered to be her very best friend didn't even remember, then what was the point of even being excited about it anymore?
Her shoulders slumped. "That's uh… real nice, little buddy. I wish ya good luck on that… "she took one more glance at him before disappearing out the door. SpongeBob followed her out. He stood at the kitchen door as he watched her drag her feet towards the exit.
"Sandy?" he called out. He got no response as she disappeared.
"Oh no… Mr. Krabs!" he called.
Mr. Krabs burst out of his office, causing loose money to fly everywhere. "What?! What is it boy-o?! I'm standing over a hot iron!"
"I think Sandy's headed back to her Treedome! We've gotta make it there before she does!"
"But it's not closing time yet- "Squidward was interrupted by Mr. Krabs tipping the boat and dumping him out of it.
"It is now, Mister Squidward!"
Squidward stood up and smiled. "You mean… we get to go home early?! WOO-HOO- "
"Not home, Mister Squidward! To Sandy's Treedome."
His smile faded. "Of course, ruin my day some more." Mr. Krabs then stood in the center of the restaurant. "Alright, everybody out! We're closin' early." He announced.
"Hey! You can't do that, my son hasn't finished eating," a ladyfish complained.
"Yeah! And I waited for my meal for over twenty minutes!" said a male fish with a raspy voice.
"What are you gonna do old man? Flip the joint with your bare claws and send us all tumbling out?" asked a teenage male fish.
Mr. Krabs glanced at SpongeBob for a moment.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" all the customers screamed as Mr. Krabs then stood at the back of the restaurant, lifting up the entire building and throwing everyone out, literally.
He then set the building back down and scuttled to the front where he met his employees. "Ye know what they say, 'the customer is always right'! Arg arg arg arg!" he chuckled as he locked up the restaurant doors.
Meanwhile…
Sandy slowly and depressingly dragged her feet back towards her home. "I can't believe everyone… just… forgot… especially SpongeBob…" she shook her head, feeling deeply hurt at the thought of him and everyone else not finding her important enough to remember.
This was not how she had planned her day. She was expecting at least someone to wish her a happy birthday, but no. Not even that little yellow barnacle head…
The squirrel sighed to herself and shook her head. "Some friends…" she said.
Inside the Treedome…
"There! That ought to do it," said Larry, stringing up the left end of the large purple banner that read, "Happy Birthday Sandy!" he climbed down from the wooden ladder.
Patrick stared up at it. "Hmmm… why'd ya have to hang it up there across the tree?"
"Meow? (where else was he supposed to hang it, genius? Across your forehead?)"
Patrick glared at the smart-aleck of a snail. "Oooh… so help me, snaily, if I hear one more- "
"Oh, calm your shorts, Patrick. This isn't about you," said Judy, Pearl's fish friend.
He stared blankly at her. "Then… what's it about?"
"Sandy's birthday?" she cocked a brow at him.
He smiled and laughed cluelessly. "Oh yeah! Ahaha," Judy rolled her eyes.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Puff, SpongeBob's boating teacher, was helping Pearl and Orchid out with setting up the picnic table with a buffet of food, including the bright pink and white birthday cake.
"Oh, this is so exciting! I just love parties. Too bad… it had to be SpongeBob's idea," her eye twitched.
Pearl giggled. "Oh, don't worry Mrs. Puff! There won't be any driving here."
"Yeah! Or Sponge guy would probably crack the entire dome and Sandy's home would be doomed!" said Orchid.
"I'm afraid I'm doomed on a regular basis with that boy…" Mrs. Puff sighed heavily.
Just then, SpongeBob, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs quickly came through the steel door, all panting as they placed their water helmets on.
"Wow, you guys got here fast. How'd the picnic go?" asked Patrick.
"There was no need for a picnic, Patrick," said SpongeBob, panting.
"Why not?"
"Because Sandy was already gone… remember?"
"Yeah! 'Cause she was on the picnic with you already, duh!" he rolled his eyes. SpongeBob stared blankly at him.
SpongeBob's parents came up to them. "Hello, dear! It was so sweet of you to plan this lovely little party for your girlfriend," said Mrs. SquarePants, smiling sweetly at her son.
SpongeBob blushed. "Mom, I-I told you before, she's not my girlfriend."
"Oh, it's okay son! You're old enough to date; you don't need our permission," said Mr. SquarePants.
SpongeBob rolled his eyes. They all looked around at the brightly decorated dome. The banner hung high on the tree, the picnic table was all decked out with everything they needed, there was a separate little table that held a record player, and to top everything off were hundreds of bright purple lights and balloons strung up everywhere.
"Wow… you guys, this place looks amazing! Ooh, and look at that cake! Sandy's gonna flip," said SpongeBob excitedly.
"I'll say! She'll flip higher than I flipped me restaurant," said Mr. Krabs.
"Daddy! I thought you said you weren't gonna do that anymore!" said Pearl.
"What?! It was an emergency," he argued.
"Speaking of emergencies, here she comes!" warned Larry.
"Everybody hide!" said Pearl.
They all gathered together in one big group, with Pearl standing at the front. "Or, just stand in plain sight, whatever." She shrugged.
"No-good party poopers, forgettin' my birthday… maybe I'm wrong, maybe sea critters just don't like to celebrate birth- "
"SURPRISE!" everyone shouted. "B-birth… days…" Sandy was astonished at the sight before her. "What… what's all this?" she looked around at everyone.
"It's your party, silly!" Pearl giggled. Gary blew a party horn in Patrick's ear. The starfish glared at him.
"B-but I… and you guys… a-and the Krusty Krab… and… special…" she could barely speak.
"Aye, ye should see the look on yer face lass! Arg arg arg arg!" Mr. Krabs chuckled.
"You didn't really think we'd forget, did you?" asked Orchid, smiling.
Sandy took off her helmet. "W-well… gee, I just assumed Y'all did 'cause nobody mentioned nothin' to me all day… boy, I feel silly." She shook her head with a smile. "I don't know what to say… thank you all so much!" she beamed.
"Oh, don't thank us, we just helped with setting things up. It's our son who deserves all the praise," said Mr. SquarePants, grabbing SpongeBob and pulling him to the front.
Sandy stared at him. "Y-you mean… this was all your idea, SpongeBob?"
He smiled sheepishly. "Y-yeah… pretty much." Gary nudged him in the leg. "Of course, Gary helped out with marking the date on the calendar." Said SpongeBob. Gary then grinned proudly.
Sandy came towards him. "I shouldn't have doubted ya, little buddy…" she smiled. He then pulled out something from behind his back and placed it in her hand.
"Happy Birthday," he smiled. "W-what's this?" she opened her palm to reveal the tiny, silver figurine of the Texas star. She stared down at it in disbelief, then looked up at the sponge.
"Why… I've had my eye on this since… well, forever," she chuckled. She stepped close to the sponge and squeezed him into a hug.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, SpongeBob! MUAH!' without even thinking, she placed her hands on his helmet and kissed it.
She then saw the look of embarrassment on his face and pulled out of the hug. "Ahem, sorry. Forgot about your helmet…"
Suddenly, SpongeBob found his helmet being lifted off his head by his mother. "Go ahead dear!" she said.
"Mom! Sandy doesn't wanna- "right then, he found a pair of lips softly pressing themselves onto his cheek. He slowly shifted his eyes to look at her as she pulled away and smiled at him.
"Thank you, SpongeBob. You're the best friend a gal could ask for." She said. The sponge turned bright red in the face. He smiled goofily. "Hehe, you're welcome…"
"Ooooh…" Pearl and her friends giggled at the sight.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get this party started!" said Patrick.
"Meow (it would've started a lot sooner if you hadn't have taken so long picking out the party favors…)" Gary glared at him.
The starfish glared back. "And I wouldn't have had to go back to the store if SOMEONE didn't use the balloons as chew toys…" the two inched closer and closer as they glared at each other.
Everyone backed away. "Uhh… should we run?" asked Judy.
"Heck no, darlin'! I missed last week's boxin' match on late-night TV, this ought to make up for it…" Mr. Krabs rubbed his claws together at the sight of the starfish and snail about to tackle each other.
A/N: And there we go! Haha, I'm sorry if this was just a bit too long, I just didn't feel like it was long enough to be put into any chapters… blah, lol. Anyways, I hope you found this to be entertaining and I'll see you next time!
